Description

Preparations for the John F. Kennedy “Presidential Inaugural Ball”National Guard Armory building, with a large group of entertainers from Hollywood and the show business world, under the conductorship of Leonard Bernstein. Washington, D.C. January 1961Whether photographing California counter-culture or the rich landscape of Hawaii, photographer Dennis Stock had an extraordinary ability to capture the essence of the American experience. Here, Frank Sinatra is pictured in rehearsals for the John F.Kennedy Presidential Inaugural Ball in the National Guard Armoury building, where a large group of entertainers from Hollywood and the show business world, would gather under the conductorship of Leonard Bernstein.

I have been privileged to view much of life through my cameras, making the journey an enlightened experience

Dennis Stock
© Dennis Stock | Magnum Photos

Dennis Stock was born in 1928 in New York City. At the age of 17, he left home to join the United States Navy. In 1947, he became an apprentice to Life magazine photographer Gjon Mili and won first prize in Life’s Young Photographers contest.

He joined Magnum in 1951. Stock evoked the spirit of America through his memorable and iconic portraits of Hollywood stars, most notably James Dean. Other notable projects include his work on the jazz scene and on the California free-loving counterculture of the 1960’s. In the 1990s he went back to his urban origins, exploring the modern architecture of large cities and his later work was mostly focused on the abstraction of flowers.

Dennis Stock resided in Woodstock, New York, until his death in 2010.

© Dennis Stock | Magnum Photos

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